By Mike May
Every year during the winter season, Wellington is home of many specialists in the equestrian world — riders, owners, trainers, grooms, breeders, coaches, journalists and more. Among the visitors are world-renowned equestrian photographers, and this year, that group included Irina Kazaridi, a fine art photographer who specializes in equestrian and polo photography.
Kazaridi hails from Beaulieu-sur-Mer, a scenic town in the south of France located between Nice and Monaco.
Recently, Kazaridi spent two months in Wellington, and she was not alone.
“My family joined me on this trip, so we combined it with a holiday,” she explained.
During the trip, she was able to mix business with pleasure.
“The main reason for coming to Wellington was the Winter Equestrian Festival, a unique and beautiful event that reunites the most elegant equestrian society and their most amazing horses,” Kazaridi said. “I had two small exhibitions of my work planned. One was at the beautiful private equestrian property in Wellington, Double A Stables, and another at the Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami. It was a great opportunity to showcase my work.”
Kazaridi has been taking photographs and showcasing her unique work for more than 10 years.
“I’ve been in the equestrian photography business since 2013, starting with polo in Saint-Tropez, which is near my home,” Kazaridi said. “Over the past 11 years, I’ve traveled the world to the most beautiful equestrian events.”
She excels in taking pictures of a wide variety of equine subjects.
“I photograph all types of horses, including jumpers, dressage, polo and racing horses,” Kazaridi explained.
She specializes in taking pictures of horses because of the appeal of the unexpected.
“I am drawn to taking pictures of horses because of the unpredictability of shooting, and the excitement of chasing the perfect shot,” Kazaridi said. “It’s also satisfying to see my works adorn the most sophisticated interiors.”
While Kazaridi knows how to take great pictures, her ability to bring that photo to life, so to speak, is what makes her artwork uniquely special.
“My specialty is creating fine art portraits for interior décor, and I collaborate with designers worldwide,” Kazaridi said.
One of Kazaridi’s biggest fans is equestrian Ariane Stiegler, president of Double A Stables in Wellington.
“What caught my eye was how she reached into horses’ souls and photographed them in a very unusual way — portraying only parts of their anatomy,” Stiegler said. “Her prints are large, extremely powerful and decorative. I knew when I called her that her uniqueness would set her apart from all traditional photographers in the United States and worldwide. I truly believe she is one of a kind.”
Kazaridi’s latest project is a new and different kind of equine pictorial.
“Now, I’m working on my new book of fine art photographs of the white wild horses of Camargue,” Kazaridi said. “It’s in the Provence region, in the south of France.”
Stiegler knows that Kazaridi’s new project will be well received by the general public, especially by horse lovers.
“She is extremely creative and her new endeavor of shooting horses in Camargue and putting together a book will propel her to new heights,” Stiegler said.
To learn more about the equine fine art photography of Irina Kazaridi, visit www.horseprintcollection.com.
